Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFPs are understood to comprise printers, alone or in combination with other of the afore-noted functions. It is further understood that any suitable document processing device can be used.
Given the expense in obtaining and maintain MFPs, devices are frequently shared or monitored by users or technicians via a data network. MFPs, while moveable, are generally maintained in a fixed location. Until more recent times, users, which may include individuals or groups such as employees, administrators or technicians administrators of networked MFPs, were also generally in relatively fixed location. A user would typically communicate documents or other information from his or her office or workstation. An administrator or technician would also monitor devices from a workstation.
Users may send document processing jobs, such as a print request, to one or more networked devices. In a typical shared device setting, one or more workstations are connected via a network. When a user wants to print a document, an electronic copy of that document is sent to a document processing device via the network. The user may select a particular device when several are available. The user then walks to the selected device and picks up their job or waits for the printed document to be output. If multiple users send their requests to the same device, the jobs are queued and outputted sequentially.
User devices have become increasingly mobile. Often times users interact with MFPs via personal data devices such as portable notebook computers, handheld devices such as tablet computers, smartphones, or the like. While many portable devices may still be used at a workplace, a user may do so from various workplace locations. Often times a user may have one or more electronic documents stored on a personal data device. Such electronic documents may also be stored on a networked device, such as a server or on a MFP itself. Electronic document files may be stored by a filename which can be user selected or assigned automatically. By way of example, a user may create an electronic document on a word processing application and save it for future reference. A user may also scan one or more paper documents into an electronic format.
If a user wishes to access a stored electronic document, they may not recall a particular file name relegating them to open each document in an application to view it. Once the correct document or documents are located, the user may access an application to print it. The user may have to select a printer, particularly if the user is accessing their electronic document over a portable device. Locating, loading, viewing, selecting and processing of a document can be a time consuming and involved process.